CSi:Yarn About Henry 2: Elements
by A Rhea King
Summary: A quiet Sunday night of working on a science fair project turns deadly. OC Character: Jason Andrews


The Wall, the only place there wasn't police, media, or a deranged gunman

**Elements**

By

A. Rhea King

"Grissom, do you have a moment?" he heard Henry ask behind him.

Grissom glanced away from the lab tech he was talking to, signaling Henry to wait for a moment. He finished talking to the tech and turned to him.

"Yes?"

Henry slid his hands in his front pockets, looking down. Clearly he wasn't prepared to talk to Grissom now that the moment was at hand. Grissom waited.

"Jason has a science fair Wednesday and…" Henry looked up at him. "The school only has the lab open when I'm working or sleeping. I tried to work something out with the principal but nothing happened. I was wondering if he could come in with me on Sunday, maybe, and work on it."

"What's the project?"

"I don't know."

"What are the criteria?"

"I don't know."

"Henry, I need to know what he's going to be doing before I can say yes or no."

"I haven't had time to look at it, Grissom. I've been working seventy hours for the last three weeks."

"You have?" Grissom asked. "I didn't approve overtime."

Henry sighed. Grissom knew that sigh. He had forgotten something again, hadn't he?

"Henry, with Hodges out with pneumonia and Wendy gone on vacation, and we have to close this Justin Keller case. I need you to work on this evidence for the next couple of weeks. I'll approve overtime for the rest of the month. Does that conversation ring a bell?"

"Wendy was back Monday, Hodges came back two days ago, and the case was closed yesterday."

"Yes, but the rest of my work fell behind, Wendy and I have been playing catch up, and Hodges left early both days because he was dizzy."

Grissom frowned. Henry was doing as he'd been told, he couldn't get upset about that.

"Don't work any more overtime."

"We're still behind."

"I know, but you can't work those hours, Henry. I'll never hear the end of it and you need to take care of Jason."

"No more overtime. Check. But that still leaves the question open."

"Come to me with the project and we'll talk."

Henry looked past Grissom. He'd come to recognize that look on Henry's face. He was thinking about something and a patient person could find out what it was if they just waited long enough. Henry looked back at him.

Henry smiled, looking down. "I'm not a very good teacher. I mean, I can help him with homework, but… It's hard going from knowing so much to trying to keep it all from overwhelming him. Even with his smarts he can get overwhelmed. I seem to do that a lot to the poor kid."

"You know, Henry," Grissom paused until he looked up. "Saying something like, 'Grissom, could you help my brother pick a project?' would probably work better."

Henry beamed and Grissom reflected it.

"Grissom, could you help my brother pick a project?"

"Yes. Bring him in tonight and we'll figure it out. And the papers for the project."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Excuse me. Catherine!" Grissom said as he hurried away.

#

"GRISSOM!" he heard Jason cry and looked up.

The eight-year-old ran into Grissom's office, around his desk and fell onto Grissom, giving him a huge hug.

Grissom turned, hugging him back. To his surprise Jason planted a peck on his cheek.

"I missed you, Grissom. Henry said we're going to make a chemistry project."

"Make it?"

"Yeah," Henry said as he walked in. "The paper says all projects must be 'kitchen projects,' so nothing from outside of the home can be used."

Jason shrugged out of his backpack and pulled a stack of papers that he handed to Grissom. Even though Grissom took them, Jason sorted through the papers until he found the one for the project requirements.

"Here's the rules."

Grissom grabbed his glasses and looked over the rules. He looked up at Henry.

"We'll think of something. I might have to go to the grocery store."

"Okay. Le me know before you go and I'll give you money."

"Henry, my boy," Catherine said, leaning on the doorframe. "Grissom, this boy _nailed_ it on the stand against Justin Keller. That man is going away for a long, long time. _If_ they ever catch him again."

Henry blushed, looking at Grissom. "I just told them my findings, nothing special."

"Yes, but you did it so well!" Catherine grinned. "Took to it like a fish to water. Come on, Henry, we got more bad guys to help prosecute."

Henry smiled. "Be good, Jason."

"I'll think about it."

"Cake," Henry said as he followed Catherine out.

"Pie!" Jason called after him with a smile.

The brothers waved to each other as Henry walked past. Jason leaned over Grissom's arm, looking at the paper and then him.

"So? What are we going to blow up?"

Grissom smiled. He did have his brother's sense of humor.

"So? What are we going to blow up?"

Grissom smiled. He had his brother's sense of humor, didn't he?

"Actually, I was thinking of something a little simpler than blowing up something."

"Blowing up is fun."

"Yes, it can be. However, I don't think your school really wants things blowing up."

"How do you know?"

Grissom pointed to rule number seven. "Your project must not have any volatile chemicals that may cause fire, intense heat, or explosions. No blowing up."

"We're not going to make a volcano, are we?"

"No. We're going to make a natural pH indicator and then show how molecules move at different speeds through the different compounds."

"COOL!" Jason beamed. Suddenly it disappeared. "How?"

Grissom got up, picking his coat up from the back of the chair.

"That, my dear Watson, is elementary."

Jason beamed. He headed for the door and turned toward the lab.

"Come on, Jason," Grissom called as he turned the opposite direction.

Jason stopped and turned. "Aren't we going to get money?"

"No."

Jason ran after Grissom, slowing to a walk when he caught up.

#

Warrick looked at Grissom and Jason as he walked into the lab. And then the pile of red cabbage they were cutting up. There was a wide assortment of other groceries spread across the counter.

"What's this for?" Warrick asked. He stopped to look over the items. "And why so much cabbage?"

"We're making a homemade pH indicator," Jason told him. "For my science fair project."

Warrick looked at him, then Grissom. He didn't refute the answer.

"You… _Are_?"

The two nodded.

"What's this other stuff for?"

"He's going to test the different compounds for pH levels, determine if they are base, acid, or neutral."

Warrick looked at Grissom. "Seltzer water?"

"H two see oh three."

Warrick smiled. "Ohhhhh."

"What is that?" Jason asked.

"Can't tell you. It'll give the answer away."

Grissom looked slyly up at Warrick. "Can you tell me which one is N aye H see oh three?"

Warrick looked over the contents of the table. He grabbed the box of baking soda, repeating back, "N aye H see oh three."

Grissom nodded.

"Warrick, I have… Whoa. What's going on in here?" Greg asked as he stopped next to Warrick.

"Science fair project," Warrick answered.

"Oh yeah? What's the cabbage for?"

"Home made pH Indicator."

Greg handed Warrick a folder and sat down on a stool on Jason's other side. "So you're going to make cabbage juice, right?"

Jason looked at Grissom. "We are, right?"

"Yes," Grissom answered.

"Sweet! Can I help?"

"Aren't you and Warrick supposed to be heading out to Henderson right now?" Grissom asked.

Greg hesitated.

"Come back on your break or lunch and you can help," Grissom told him.

Greg stood, taking the folder from Warrick. "Got our DNA results."

The two wandered off, leaving Grissom and Jason to their cabbage.

"Grissom?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I be a CSI?"

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Of course. Why couldn't you?"

"Henry keeps telling me I can't be."

Grissom smiled, glancing at him. "Being a CSI can be dangerous. He just doesn't want anything to happen to you. But you know, there will come a point in your life when you'll just have to do decide how you'll live your life, even if it upsets him."

"When is that?"

"I don't know that answer, but whenever it happens, remind yourself Henry loves you and don't be too hard on him, okay?"

"I won't be. I promise. Do we have enough cabbage?"

"Let's cut the whole head. Then you won't have to make more for you science fair."

Grissom looked up, watching Henry and Wendy walk past. Henry noticed and smiled at him. Grissom smiled back, then looked at Jason. Between his intelligence and the how joyful he took in life, it was hard not to like Jason. He often considered what he would be missing if the men that had killed Henry and Jason's parents had also killed Jason. Grissom dismissed that thought by focusing on the project.

#

Grissom pretended he didn't notice Jason looking at him every couple of minutes. He kept his eyes on the research he was doing.

"Is it done yet?" Jason asked.

"No."

Jason fell silent, trying to focus on his PSP. He paused the game, starting to ask the question again.

"Jason, don't you have a watch?"

"Yes."

"Didn't you set the timer on it?"

"Yes."

"Has it gone off?"

"No."

"Then stop asking me if it's done yet."

Jason made a face that Grissom caught out of the corner of his eyes. The impatience of youth never bothered Grissom like it did some people. Patience was a skill that had to be learned and he didn't mind teaching it – a reflection of his own patience.

"When will Greg be back? He wanted to help me run the pH tests."

"They left thirty minutes ago for supper. They should be back soon."

"Did Nick and Catherine meet them? I haven't seen them tonight."

"No," Grissom turned the page in his book, answering in a distracted voice. "It's Catherine's night off and Nick went to a call near the state line. He won't be back for some time. Why do you ask?"

"I just haven't seen him for a while."

"You saw him last night."

"I mean tonight. He owes me a dollar."

"For what?"

"The Jets beat his team."

Grissom looked at him over his glasses. "You cannot legally gamble, Jason."

Jason smiled. "He probably won't pay me anyway. Does that still count as gambling?"

Grissom smiled. "Probably not."

"Do you think Henry will be back from the morgue soon?"

"I suppose so. Why?"

"I like helping him run stomach contents. It's cool to see what people eat."

Grissom chuckled. "Oh to be seven again. Jason, play your game. I have to finish this."

Jason turned back to his game.

Grissom got up and turned to get a book. He heard someone yell at someone in the hall and looked over his shoulder. Then a gun went off. Grissom spun, staring into the lab. Grissom saw people in the other labs turn too.

He moved around his desk, looking for the shooter. He saw someone down the hall coming in his direction. Grissom turned and grabbed Jason's wrist, practically yanking the boy out of the chair.

"Not a word," Grissom ordered him as he pulled him to the back of his office behind shelves.

Grissom pushed him into the corner and stood in front of him, watching the door over the top of books. He saw a man walk past, and then stop, reading the name on the door. The man came in, looking around the office. He brandished a shotgun and had two pistols stuck in his pants. The man checked under the desk, then started in their direction. Grissom would have stepped forward and demanded to know what the man wanted, but with Jason in the office, he wasn't going to risk it.

The man came around the shelves and aimed his shotgun at Grissom.

"Where's Jason Andrews?" the man demanded.

Grissom didn't answer. He felt Jason's hand on his back and shook his head.

"We don't have a Jason Andrews working here."

"He doesn't work here. His brother does. Where is Jason Andrews? The idiots at the front said he was working on a science project with Gil Grissom. I know you're Gil Grissom, so where's the kid?"

"I don't know."

The man cocked the gun.

Grissom saw people run past, probably searching for this man. Hodges walked into the office. For once Grissom wished he had his CSI there, someone who was smart enough not to just waltz into the office after hearing a gunshot and would have called dispatch instead.

"Grissom?" Hodges said. "We all heard what sounded like a gunshot. Are you back there?"

Grissom didn't answer. The man moved back against the shelf, glancing over his shoulder at Hodges.

Hodges headed toward the back. The man pulled one of the pistols from his belt and sat the rifle down next to him. Hodges stepped around the corner and he shoved him against the wall, shoving the pistol against Hodges's temple.

"Where is Jason Andrews!?" the man hissed.

"I don't know!" Hodges hissed.

The man cocked the gun, looking at Grissom. "If you don't know, then there's no point in keeping you around."

"WAIT!" Jason said.

Grissom tried to keep the child from getting out from behind him, but Jason was skinny and more flexible, and squirmed his way out. Jason stood up, staring at the man.

"Don't shoot him. I'm Jason Andrews."

The man pushed Hodges away, grabbing Jason's arm and yanking him to him. He put the pistol away and picked up the rifle.

"Both of you get moving. Out to the hall."

Hodges and Grissom moved around him and into the hall. Around them the lab techs noticed the hostage situation.

"Everyone, into the center lab now!" screamed the gunman.

No one moved, so he aimed at the nearest lab tech and fired. Grissom watched in horror as the shell blew a hole through her chest and she crumpled to the floor. The lab techs quickly obeyed his order, filing into the center lab, the largest one in the building. This man knew the lab. That wasn't a good thing.

"Move it," he ordered Grissom and Hodges.

They walked into the lab with everyone else, watching him yank Jason along with him. In the lab, the man looked over the faces.

"Where is he?" he demanded. "Where the fuck is Henry Andrews?"

"He's not here," Jason told him.

The man looked down at Jason. The boy was crying and trying to pry the man's fingers from his arm.

"You're hurting me!" Jason told him.

"Where is Henry, Jason?"

"He's in the basement."

"He'll be back, for you, won't he?"

Jason looked up at the man. He slowly shook his head.

"No?"

"No. He has to got a meet Warrick and Greg and pick up their evidence," Jason lied.

"And why would he do that?"

"Because they have to go to another crime scene and don't have time to come back here."

Grissom was impressed with how fast Jason had come up with a lie, and how convincing he was about it. He was also upset because Jason didn't realize how dangerous it was to try convincing this man he wasn't important. As long as the man believed Jason was a trump card, it was unlikely he would hurt him.

But the lie shattered when Henry came around a corner with a container of stomach contents. The man heard him and spun, aiming his rifle at him. Henry froze. The man grinned.

"Hello, Henry," the man said with a grin.

Henry stared at him.

"What? You ruin my life and can't even say hello?"

"Hello," Henry growled.

"I see you're up to ruining someone else's life." The man motioned at the container with his shotgun.

Henry didn't look at the container. He kept his eyes on the gunman. He walked up to the nearest counter and sat the container down.

"What do you want Justin?"

"I want… I want my family back. I want my job and my house back. I want my _life_ back."

"How can I help you do that?"

The man laughed. "You CAN'T!"

"Then what do you want?"

Justin slid his arm around Jason, pulling him back against him.

"I want you to know what it feels like to lose. First your co-workers, one by one, then your brother…" Justin aimed the rifle at Henry. "And then you."

#

Greg and Warrick climbed out of the Denali and headed for the doors. Greg was still working on a ketchup drip on his shirt.

"You're making it worse, you know," Warrick told him. "Just toss it."

"No way. This is my lucky shirt."

"Well, George and Grissom have baking soda and club soda. That should get it out.

"Jason, not George."

"I like George better."

Greg smiled, stopping at the door to rub the spot more vigorously. "I think he's partial to Jason."

Warrick opened the door and the two walked in. Warrick stopped, staring at the front desk. Greg noticed and looked at him, then the front desk.

"What?"

"There's no guards."

"They probably went to lunch." He walked toward the elevator, still working on the spot.

Warrick walked toward the counter.

"Greg," Warrick said.

Greg stopped and turned. The sight of the two dead guards surprised him. They both had large holes blown through their hearts. Greg turned, reaching for the call button on the elevator.

"No!" Warrick said.

He turned, watching Warrick rush up. "CSI and the morgue are the only two offices open this time of day. We don't know which is the target and this person clearly doesn't care who they kill. We'll take the stairs. You go check out the morgue, I'll head upstairs."

"Shouldn't we call dispatch?"

Warrick nodded, looking at the desk phones. "Call them and then head downstairs."

Warrick jogged over to the stairs door and disappeared. Greg trotted over to the desk phone and reached for it. He hesitated, and then pulled gloves from his pants pocket.

#

"Name the person, Henry. Who's first?" Justin asked as he swung the rifle back and forth across the crowd.

Henry didn't answer. Justin looked at him.

"How about your supervisor?" he stopped the gun at Grissom.

Henry still didn't answer.

"No? How about this one?" He took aim at Archie.

Henry stared at him.

"Pick someone!" Justin snapped.

"How about you?" Henry asked.

Justin smiled, laughing like a lunatic. "How about me? Is that who you choose?"

"You said you've lost everything. You didn't lose your life. As I recall, your wife hadn't left you during the trial. That was only five days ago. But if things are as bad as you say, then yes, you. What's the point in living?"

"She's going to leave me! I'll be in jail for twelve years and she'll leave."

"Will she? Are you sure of that?"

"SHUT UP!" the man screamed, aiming at Henry. "Do not talk about my wife!"

#

Warrick slowly slipped from the stairwell into the hall. Back here, behind solid walls, he couldn't see anything out of place. But he heard the gunman scream, "SHUT UP! Do not talk about my wife!"

He moved through the halls to an end of one where he could see into the lab and everyone in the main lab. Warrick quickly pulled his cell phone off his belt, turned it on silent, and sent a text message to Greg about the situation. Instantly Greg sent back another. He was in the morgue with Robbins and David. He'd let dispatch know

Warrick looked around for some way of getting closer, but it would be like walking into an open field. Today all these glass walls were a curse. Warrick stayed where he was, keeping an eye on the situation.

#

"Then who do you want to talk about? Me?" Henry asked.

"How egocentric."

"Then what?"

"Jason, do you love your big brother?"

Jason nodded.

"Then maybe you should tell him to pick someone before I shoot him for you."

Jason started crying harder.

Jason's watch went off at the same time a timer across the lab did. The gunman swung his gun around, aiming in the direction of the noise, and looking for the culprit.

Grissom watched Henry catch Jason's eyes and mouth, '_Play Red Rover_.'

Jason nodded. Justin looked back at Henry.

"What was that?" Justin demanded.

"I don't know," Henry honestly answered.

Jason started crying and suddenly tried pulling away from the man. The man caught his shirt and Jason strained against his hold. Grissom was confused by the direction Jason was pulling. It wasn't toward him or Henry or anyone else. It was straight out, pulling the gunman's arm straight out. The man gave a yank to pull him back. In that very small window Henry reacted. He sprinted forward, throwing his body against Justin's wrist. Justin was surprised and his hold was broken. Henry rammed his elbow into Justin's nose, forcing him back.

Wendy was the closest to Jason. She grabbed him and the two disappeared behind a counter. Lab techs quickly scrambled for cover when Justin's gun went off. Grissom ducked down with Wendy and Jason. Jason grabbed his arm.

"Henry? Where's Henry?" Jason asked.

Grissom looked around the corner, watching Henry and Justin fight. In the heat of the fight, Henry managed to get the weapons pushed away and the fight turned into a brutal fistfight. Justin tripped Henry and ended up falling too. Henry landed hard on his back and Justin on his stomach. Justin grabbed for his rifle. Henry's hand landed on a pistol and his fingers curled around it. He lunged forward, aiming as Justin rolled over and took aim with the rifle. It was a stand off.

"Please, Justin, don't make me pull this trigger," Henry begged.

Bobby came out from behind a counter, snatching up the other pistol and aiming at Justin.

"I'd rather die than go to jail," Justin snarled, cocking the rifle.

"You pull that trigger, I'll give you that wish," Warrick said as he came into the lab with his gun aimed at Justin. "Put it down."

Justin didn't obey.

"PUT IT DOWN!" Warrick snarled.

Justin didn't want to die. He proved it by setting his rifle down. Grissom started to move forward to take the rifle but Jason clung to him. Grissom relaxed when Henry grabbed it and disengage the hammer. Warrick grabbed the nearest phone and dialed an extension.

"Send up paramedics and officers. The gunman is in custody."

Henry sat the weapons on a counter behind Bobby and turned. One eye was swollen shut, his lip was puffy and bleeding, blood flowed from his nose and there was a dark purple bruise forming on his neck where Justin must have landed a lucky punch.

"Jason?"

Jason sprung from behind the counter and ran to him. He grabbed Henry, almost knocking the lab tech off his feet. Henry sank to his knees, squeezing the child tight.

#

Grissom stopped in font of a house. He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, checked the address written on it, and then looked up at the house. He climbed out of his car and walked up to the door, tapping the doorbell. The door burst open and Jason smiled up at him.

"Grissom!" he cried, hugging him.

"Hello, Jason. Is Henry home?"

"Yep!" Jason grabbed his hand, pulling him in.

Jason shut the door and led Grissom down a hall. Unlike the manicured outside, the inside felt lived in. There were toys left in the corners of chairs and on the bench in the hall, coats were more or less hung on the coat rack near the door.

Jason led Grissom through the kitchen and out the back to the deck. Henry stood at a grill cooking. He looked worse for wear. The swelling around his eye had gone down some, but his face was still an ugly bruise. He moved slow and favored his left arm, indicating fractured bones were still healing. He reached for a plate and stopped, lowering his hand to his side. Jason let go of Grissom's hand and ran over, grabbing the plate.

"Thanks, kiddo. Who was at the door?" Henry asked.

"Grissom. Hey, do you want to stay and have supper with us?" Jason asked Grissom. "The chicken's done." Jason held up the plate as Henry was trying to set a chicken breast on it.

"Hold it still, worm," Henry laughed.

Jason held it still until all four had been sat on the plate.

"I don't want to impose," Grissom answered. "I just stopped to see how Henry was doing."

"It's okay." Henry told him. He slowly turned off the burners and lowered the lid, then turned to Grissom. "After all, you got him an 'A' on his project. You should have supper with us at least."

"You got an 'A' Jason?"

"Yep. I have a ribbon too!" Jason almost threw the plate on the table across from the grill. Fast like a jackrabbit, he disappeared back into the house.

"Has he had a lot of sugar today?"

"No. We've had a lot of visitors today. He like visitors. You sure you don't want to stay for super?"

Grissom changed his mind. "If you don't mind."

"No. Let me go get you a setting," Henry told him.

"No. Sit down. Tell me where everything is."

Jason flew out of the house with his blue ribbon streaming in his hand. He thrust it up at Grissom.

"See? First place. We got first place! I told my teacher you helped me, but she didn't mind. She said it was okay for a CSI to help me."

Grissom took the ribbon, smiling proudly at it. He remembered being this excited over these ribbons when he was a child and how he'd come running into the room to present them to his parents. They smiled just like he was – so this is what it felt like to see your child doing well?

"I'm very proud of you. Here, take it back in. And then hurry down and show me where the plates and silverware are."

"Are you going to stay for supper?"

"I am."

"I'll get them. You just sit down and relax with Henry."

Before Grissom could consider arguing, the child was back in the house. Grissom chuckled, sitting down at the table across from Henry.

"How are you feeling?"

"Okay."

"I'm not sure if what you did Sunday was brave or stupid."

Henry looked past Grissom – he was thinking about his reply. Grissom waited. He looked up when Jason ran back out with a place setting. He quickly set it up and climbed into his chair. He turned to talk to Henry and stopped. Jason leaned on the table, watching his brother. Henry looked at Grissom, but noticed Jason sitting next to him. He smiled, reaching out and running his hand down the side of Jason's face.

"There are some things worth doing stupid, brave things for."

Jason leaned forward on the able, tucking his legs under him. "Pass the corn, Henry. Pllllleeaaase."

Henry lifted his eyebrows. "What are ya now? Roger Rabbit?"

Jason grinned, leaning to the side and telling him, "P-P-P-P-Pllllleeeeeasssee."

Henry picked up the plate, looking at the cobs of corn. He looked at Henry. "I dunno. These cobs I was thinking of tossing out."

Jason sat up, grinning. "Surely you can't be serious!"

Henry tightened his lips, narrowed his eyes to slits, and told Jason, "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley."

Jason and Grissom both laughed. Henry passed him the plate.

"Gracias." He passed it on to Grissom.

"We have a new case that you might be interested in," Grissom told him.

"What's that?"

"Warrick found a soap mummy."

Henry smiled. "Saponification?"

"Yes."

Henry smiled more. "Have you figured out the cause?"

"Not yet. He was found in a well."

"How old?"

"Perhaps fifty years."

"Tell me what's been done so far."

Grissom went on to tell Henry about the soap mummy, divulging every detail about the case.


End file.
